Consider Summary

We have been examining Hebrews 10:23 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The import of this passage cannot, I think, be over emphasized.  We have seen that the notions of holding fast our hope and considering one another are not suggestions, not optional, not something that is merely good to do.

The use of the hortatory subjunctive makes these prescriptive for a community not suggestive.  It is the intention of the writer of Hebrews and through His active inspiration, the Holy Spirit, that this level of engagement of people, the increasingly intensifying and urgent encouragement to hold fast to their hope and to stimulate them into love and good works, is normative, commanded in our communities of faith.

This understanding of Hebrews 10:23 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway), builds on and sheds light on several other passages in the epistles.  Together, these passages begin to suggest a pattern of behavior that intentionally moves new believers into mature believers who are capable and committed to in turn lead others through the process through which they have progressed.

If this understanding of this sentence is accurate, it begs the question, is this your experience in your body?  If not, why not?  Frankly, it has not been my experience.  That reality is challenging me to pray differently for those with whom I am in fellowship.  If this is accurate, my responsibility is to increasingly, urgently engage with those whom God has placed in my life.

I would challenge you to consider how this impacts what you do in your fellowship.  Further, I would challenge you to look at the following passages in light of this understanding of Hebrews 10:23 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway):

• Romans 12 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 1 Corinthians 12 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ephesians 4:11 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 1 Peter 4:10 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway)

If you do, let me know what you see.

Consider – Part 4

Continuing observations on Hebrews 10:23 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway):

The last clauses of the sentence (verse 25 in our Bibles (here @ Bible Gateway)) modify the two commands, the two hortatory subjunctive clauses.  The first clause starts with a negation: “not forsaking our own assembling together.”  This reinforces for us that the Christian life, is not a solo effort.  Proverbs 18:1 tells us that those who separate themselves are foolish.  A cursory reading of the New Testament will note the abundance of repetition of the concept of one another.  We are to be engaged with one another; engaged intentionally, for a specific purpose which will be address below.

The second part of this negation is, in a real sense, a commentary not only on the reality of the Body when the author penned Hebrews but a reality that persists today, he says: “as is the habit of some.”  Unfortunately there are some who ignore the admonition of both the Old and New Testaments.  They attempt, foolishly, to live the Christian life aloof, on their own.  The writer acknowledges this reality and warns against it.

The next clause is placed in contrast with the negation of forsaking assembling signaled by the structural marker, “but”.  We are to be about “encouraging one another”.  Combined with the previous commands to hold fast and to consider, as members of a community of faith we are to be about thinking intentionally how to encourage those in our communities both to hold fast the confession of their hope and to increase in their love and good works.

The last phrase, “and all the more as you see the day drawing near,” suggests increasing intensity and urgency in the application of these imperatives in the Body.

The outworking of this sentence in a community of faith, assumes that those in the community are engaged in one another’s lives at a level that allows them to both know the individual personally and spiritually.  One has to know someone well to be able to engage with them effectively in the manner contemplated in this sentence.

In the next post I will attempt to pull all of this together and ask some questions that may help lead to application.

Consider – Part 3

Continuing to look at Hebrews 10:23 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway):

“and” – the copulative connects the first hortatory subjunctive to the second.  The two are both then a response to the nature and character of God.

“let us consider” – this is the second hortatory subjunctive.  The word, “consider”, has a sense of thinking through, observing closely an object or a person.  Here there is a sense that we are thinking specifically on something.  This is not cursory.  If one skims through the uses of the word in the NT text we see the idea of contemplate, look at more closely.  This is giving serious thought to something.

NB.  Our English translations miss the emphatic nature of this phrase, partially because the literal translation is emphatic but stiff in English.  Literally the Greek reads: “Let us consider one another into love and good works.”

Thinking through what has been established above about “let us consider”, this is an imperative and as a believer in a community of faith, one is to think, to ponder, to intentionally engage with other members of that community to specifically build them up in love and “good” works.

Consider, if you will, whether this is, or has been your experience in your community of faith.  If so, how?  If not, why?  There is more about this in this sentence, continue to observe.  It helps to write down what you are seeing.  Doing so will help you focus and will also lead to other observations.

I will continue sharing my observations on tomorrow.